The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.
Data storage, especially when viewed in the aggregate, can be very expensive. There is a cost to purchase a storage device and a cost to maintain the storage device. For example, a data center is a facility used to house storage systems. A data center provides a central place where people and businesses can store information. Adding storage capacity to a data center can be expensive because in addition to purchasing the actual storage devices, there may also be added administration costs, real estate costs, and cooling and power requirements for the additional storage devices.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide new and improved techniques to make efficient use of existing storage.